On the Gundeck

He touched the wood of the cartridge case. What was going on up there? Had Westdale reported to the Captain? Had they turned back to pick up their men? Did the Frog ship have company? So many questions, not one of them with an answer.

And he was hungry. He dug in his pocket and pulled a bit of hardtack out, tapping it on the cartridge case before breaking it into pieces on the cascabel of the cannon and offering a bit to de Guarde and Shepherd.

"Ain't worried. Much," he said, putting a bit in his mouth to suck. You couldn't bite the stuff, it was jaw-breakingly hard this time.

"Thankee." He did look surprised, when being offered some. "Ye hear anythin'?" He would have hoped that some news would dribble back down again. Just a little - we are closer - or perhaps a short - almost there - or even - the Frog's turning towards us - . Something. Anything, that would give them an indication that they would not have supper sooner than take a bite of a Frog.

"Don' remember it takin' this much time las' time t' engage. ..though it took a horribly long time jus' listenin' ter it all, n' wonderin' wot ye lot were doin' up there, n' who was winnin'." Then again, a lot had happened in the duration of their pursuit of the enemy, which was now about quite the opposite.

"Was still bored stiff till we was in action, the last time," Oxley said. "An' I was the one on duty then. But even standin' there, I couldn't see much of anythin' till we hit her. Turned right acrost our bows she done, an' we hadn't anywhere we could go, so we damn hit her. Lucky we wasn't seriously damaged, I'll say that."

"Well, don't think we'll be hittin' 'er again. Would sure be testin' our luck with that 'un. ..ships ain't made fer battling rams. That's fer sure."

He sighed. "Can't t' Frog hurry up a lil'. s' not as if we have all day. We've some of our crew ter fetch."

Oxley began tapping another rhythm. "Wish they would hurry theirselves up an' all. I've got things to do, me. And be nice to see how Doctor Crozier's doin', and all."

"Oh, wot' things? We can shout them at t' Frogs, n' they might hurry for you?" He stifled a giggle. He lifted his hand and attempted to repeat the rhythm that Oxley was just doing, for no other reason but because he too, was becoming bored of the waiting.

"Well, I need to have a chat with a mate about summat. An' I'm goin' to need the head soon." He grinned at de Guarde attempted to copy what he was doing. "Um. D'you know the song The Girl I Left Behind Me?" he asked. "It's more of an Army song, really, but we play it when we're leavin' port."

"Don't think t' Frogs will hurry up jus' couse yer want t' chat." He paused and his grin widened. "But yer can tell em ye be needin' t' head soon, and I'm sure they'll be understandin' of ye! Might even strike their colours sooner, jus' so ye can go."

He nodded a bit at the question:" ..Well, 'think I've 'eard it aye."

He glanced along the gundeck. If Mister Bush came down here now, it would be best not to be caught by him.

He hummed the tune quietly, tapping out the rhythm on the cartridge case as he did so.

I'm lonesome since I crossed the hill
And o'er the moor and valley
Such heavy thoughts my heart do fill
Since parting with my Sally
I seek no more the fine or gay
Since each doth but remind me
How swift the hours did pass away
With the girl I left behind me.

"Easy, ain't it?" he said, breaking off.

"Well, lemme try n' then see if it is." He answered with a smile and did somewhat the same, checking back and forth along the deck to see who was there and how safe they were to continue.

He'd tapped his fingers a few times first, much as if attempting to find the right tap, and then with a very subtle and quiet hum, he had done what was his version of the rhythm. He glanced over his shoulder again as if the two of them had been up to no good all along. Which this was not.

"Here, try it along of me," Oxley said, and very quietly began to sing the second verse.

"Oh, ne'er shall I forget that night,
The stars were bright above me
And gently shed their silv'ry light
When first she vowed to love me
But now I'm bound for Brighton camp
Kind heaven then pray guide me
And send me safely back again
To the girl I left behind me."

He looked across at the younger boy, grinning. "You really are in the wrong service, y'know. Should've joined the Marines."

Being told so by a marine and a drummer was a compliment, and it did as much feel so as it sounded. He felt heat sneak up to his cheeks, and looked briefly to study his cartridge case and its make.

"Thankee!" More subtly and less happily he added: "Don' think me parents would've wanted it." And more merrily:

"Bu'..ye'um a fine lot, wot' I'm thinkin'!" He hadn't exactly known what to say, for he was still taken, he grinned though. "'less try another one, shall we? Does good ter pass time, n' 's fun."

"Don't think my folks liked it much. 'S why I ran away to join, see." He thought for a moment. "You want another one? D'you know The Rochester Recruit?"

"They gotten any more warmed up ter t' idea now?" He asked then thoughtfully added:" Start it up n' I'll see. At t' very least I can 'parrot' yer anyho'!"

"Dunno. Don't think so. Here, I'll give you the fist couple o' verses and you can make up your own mind what you think to it."

He started singing quietly.

"Well, a brave Fusilier came marching down through Rochester
Bound for the wars in the Low Country
And he sang as he marched through the crowded streets of Rochester
'Who'll be a soldier for Marlborough and me?'

(Chorus)
Who'll be a soldier
Who'll be a soldier
Who'll be a soldier for Marlborough and me?
And they sang as they marched through the crowded streets of Rochester
Who'll be a soldier for Marlborough and me?

Well the King he has ordered fresh troops for the Continent
To strike a last blow at the enemy
And if you'll be a rover all in a scarlet uniform
Take the King's Shilling for Marlborough and me."

He shrugged. "Them's the first two verses and the chorus. Easy enough, ain't it?"

"So looks like." He grinned at Oxley, and went to more quietly sing the first of which he'd heard, making a few words different since he has forgotten the original, but mostly sticking to how it should be. He blushes and does it even more quietly, letting the tapping instead take more of the lead.

Once he'd forgotten what more there was to say of the lyrics, he hummed added a word here and there and hummed again through those he'd now known. The chorus was easier and that he did well and near perfect, then the humming again.

"There yer go." And this sort of distraction worked marveously, for atleast they were no longer constantly thinking with what snail like speed they were possibly moving.

"Easy, ain't it? Easier with your fingers of course than tryin' to do it on a drum with drumsticks."

The other boy seemed to be interested, anyway, which was something. A bit unexpected, maybe, but Oxley could live with it. And it was taking his mind off the waiting that seemed to be going on forever.

"aye. I'm sure t' sticks is far different n' harder... ye have ter have yer hands move right, n' the sticks do the same, n' then there's t' drum. " He grinned.

"So.. um. .when do yer have practice fer t' drummin' rhythm?" He asked tapping on his cartridge case, not quite sure what he was doing, but it did feel nice.

"Whenever. Ain't no partic'lar time for things like. Mebbe if we're a bit bored or somethin' like that. And it's a bit harder to figure it out when you've got drumsticks, but if you know the rhythm you're doin' it's much easier. You don't even have to look at the drum once you know what you're doin'."

He was just tapping something for the sake of it now, wondering if they were going to catch this French ship or what was going to happen.

"Sure thin'. " He nodded: "Hmm... they could know ter send some news from above, now. " He murmured: "Wot' ye tapping now? any other rhythm or jus' random like?"

He shrugged. "We're allus the last to find out. An' I'm jus' doing random stuff. Unless there's summat you'd like me to do, of course."

"Can yer do the hardest peace ye know... that is if that's even possible without the sticks n' drum?"

"Can't do the easiest one. You ever tried doin' a proper drumroll, just tappin' with your fingers?" He thought for a moment. "They're all pretty easy, really, have to be. Um. How about a proper shanty? Blood Red Roses ain't so easy."

(OOC - Blood Red Roses. This dates back to the period.)

(Such an odd coincidence! We were just talking about roses here XD whenn i read this!)

"Never did, Heh, never much tried doing much drum wise before. 'cept for tappin' t' table in impatience or such!" He grinned.

"Well a shanty sounds like a good choice. Need me ter whisper t lyrics?" He blushed, for as before he was rather conscious of making any singing related sound-

"No, 's all right. Thanks though." He hummed the tune to himself, tapping in time and occasionally adding in small flourishes to the basic rhythm.